Sandstone Ice Festival

Dates

About

The Sandstone Ice Climbing Festival is a celebration of Winter that takes place the second weekend of January at Robinson Quarry Park in Sandstone, Minnesota. Whether you’re a new climber, seasoned alpinist or a curious spectator, the event has something for you. The event is organized by the non-profit Minnesota Climbers Association. The winter weekend includes ice climbing instructional clinics, rental gear, free camping for the hardy, a huge bonfire and an exceptional opportunity to discuss winter fun with fellow adventurers. The sauna tents available are a great way to warm up.
Within Robinson Quarry Park lies the Sandstone Ice Park, a partnership between the city of Sandstone and the Minnesota Climbers Association. During the coldest months, the all-volunteer run Sandstone Ice Park hosts plenty of fun, climbable ice ranging from 50 to 75 feet in height.
The Saturday evening of the weekend, the event shifts to The Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center for dinner, refreshments, an inspiring presentation by an active climber, a huge fundraising raffle and more socializing.
The event has a long history going back to the mid-2000s. The Minnesota Climbers Association has been organizing the event since 2017. From it’s beginning, the event has been a staple of the Midwest climbing community. The challenge and camaraderie unique to climbing ice keeps people coming back year after year. Sandstone, Minnesota is beautiful in the winter, come take a look.

Rates

This event is free and open to the public. There is a fee for the climbing clinics.